Rescuing a 12 HP Olds Engine

12 HP Olds engine lives on after disastrous accident.

Ole Elden’s circa 1910 12 HP Type 6A Olds gasoline engine’s hopper and front end. One of the selling points for this model was that, with the obvious exception of the flywheels, most of its moving parts are hidden. Visible here on the left side of the black exhaust pipe is the carburetor and a small reservoir for starting gasoline. The small pipe and hand valve at the very bottom at left are for draining the gas tank, which is cast into the base of the engine. There is no fuel pump.

Photo By Bill Vossler

This side view of Ole’s 12 HP Type 6A Olds gasoline engine shows the 18-inch diameter belt pulley bolted on, made to take a 6-inch-wide belt for farm work.

Photo By Bill Vossler

During an accident, the Olds’ flywheels scraped on the ground when the engine flew off a trailer. Several spokes were broken and needed to be repaired. Note the “Type A No. 7” on the crankcase cover. According to its nameplate, this engine is actually a Type 6A Olds. For some reason, perhaps an earlier accident, the wrong crankcase cover was used. The oiler shown lubricates the connecting rod bearing.

Photo By Bill Vossler

The Olds, showing its spring (at left) for the intake valve. A bracket at the bottom of the spring moves up and increases tension on the spring when the exhaust valve is held open. The rod that pushes the bracket up is connected, through a tube inside the water jacket, to the exhaust rocker arm below the cylinder. The red wire is connected to the ignition coil and spark plug. The black wire is connected to the primary winding of the coil and the timing “points” (pendulum). The Olds doesn’t have a fuel pump; the gas tank is built into the cast iron base, and a section of piston draws gasoline up into the carburetor.

Photo By Bill Vossler

Though two of the spokes on this flywheel were broken close to the hub, they were fixed so well that it is almost impossible to tell.

Photo By Bill Vossler

The color of the engine along with the logo make the Olds engine look very snazzy.

Photo By Bill Vossler

Ole Elden follows in the footsteps of his father and grandfather in collecting old iron.

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